Cutting device



P 1942- SM. LASCHINSKY 2,297,155

CUTTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR.

S'e/L I BY A r TORNE Y5;

p s. M. LASCHINSKY 2,297,155

CUTTING DEVICE Filed Dec. 19, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. $0114, M 67 BY M ATTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 29, 1942 UNlTED STATES FATENT OFFICE 2,297,155 CUTTING DEVICE Serge M. Laschinsky, New York, N. Y. Application December 19, 1941, Serial No. 423,652

6 Claims.

This invention relates to cutting devices and more particularly to cutters for wire and the like.

The cutter of the present invention is particularly adaptable to use by armed forces in cutting wire entanglements, wire fences and telephone and telegraph wires. It may be attached to a bayonet, rifle or other weapon with which the soldier is equipped so that he has in his hands at the same time his weapon and a means for cutting wire and need not abandon one in order to use the other. At the same time, the weapon is utilized as a support for the cutter and takes the place of the handles or operating levers usually provided on cutters. The cutter is therefore very compact and light relative to its cutting power and hence easily carried. Used as a piece of auxiliary equipment, the cutter is so made as to be readily attached to and detached from the weapon and, when in position thereon, the weapon also facilitates the operation of the cutter by serving as a guide to direct the strand to be cut into the cutter jaws,

It is the principal object of the invention to provide a powerful and compact cutter adapted to be attached to a support, which cutter is actuated to sever a wire or the like by merely being pressed against the wire, pressure thereon moving the cutter to actuate a pair of cutting jaws.

Another object is to provide a cutter which may be attached to a bayonet and lie against one edge thereof so as to engage a wire or the like sliding along said edge and which will operate to cut the wire, when pressure is exerted thereon by the cutter, through the operation of a pair of cutting jaws.

A further object is to provide a cutter which is automatically moved to cutting position by pressure exerted on a pair of cutter jaws and which is automatically returned to open position when cutting is completed or the pressure otherwise released. Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.

The invention broadly comprises a compound lever cutter associated with a parallel motion linkage supported at one end on a suitable coupling member, movement of said linkage operating to open and close the jaws of said cutter.

A spring or its equivalent is provided to hold the cutter normally in open position and to return it to that position after cutting.

To illustrate the invention, the present preferred embodiment thereof will now be described in conjunction with the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the cutting device having cutting jaws in the form of shears;

Fig. 2 is a plan View corresponding to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end View of the rear end of the device; as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a side elevation corresponding to Fig. 1 but showing the device in the position which it takes upon completion of the cutting operation;

Fig. 5 is a sketch illustrating a modified method of attaching the device to the grip of a bayonet;

Fig. 6 shows a modified method of attaching the device to the blade of a bayonet so that the cutter extends toward the operator;

Fig. '7 shows a modified form of jaws, constituting cutting nippers instead of shears, in open position;

Fig. 8 illustrates the preferred method of attaching the device of Figs. 1-4 to a bayonet and showing diagrammatically the method of operation;

Fig. 9 is a diagram illustrating an tive arrangement of the return spring;

Fig. 10 shows the application of the cutter to a pole for use in cutting telephone or other wires strung at a height.

Referring to Figs. 1 through 4, the cutting device comprises a coupling 15 in the form of a rectangular tube having an opening [6 reinforced around its forward edge by a band ll. Mounted on the coupling by means of pins or bolts constituting the pivots P1 and P2 are two arms, an upper arm 18 and a lower arm I9. There arms are preferably of the same length and are connected to an upper or first cutter jaw 20 by a bolt and a pin constituting the pivots Pa and P4. respectively. It will be observed that the coupling [5, the arms [8 and I9, and the cutter jaw 20 constitute a parallel motion linkage. As may be seen by comparison of Figs. 1 and 4, movement of this linkage permits the jaw 29 to swing in an arcuate path about the pivots P1 and P2 while remaining parallel to itself throughout its rangeof motion.

The jaw 20 is slotted as shown at 2| (Fig. 2) and a lower or second jaw 22 is mounted in the slot and secured to the jaw 29 for rotation relative thereto by a bolt or other form of pivot 23.

Referring to Figs, 1 and 3, the arm 19 is preferably formed of a channel member having a U cross-section with its open side toward the top. The arm 18 is formed in a similar manner but positioned with its opening toward the bottom. Within the space provided between these two alternaarms is mounted a telescoping spring retainer consisting of the tubular members 26 and 21. The member 26 is pivoted on the bolt P2 and the member 21 is provided with a shoe 28 which rests against the lug 29 formed on the upper rear surface of the jaw 20. Within the tubes 26 and 21 is a compression spring 30 normally tending to force them apart and therefore exerting pressure on the jaw 20, tending to maintain the cutter in the position shown in Fig. 1.

Mounted on the side of the coupling I is a spring catch 3| having a rounded knurled end 32 and a shoulder 33 which extends toward the opening [6, the movement of this catch being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2. The catch is provided with a rigid guard 34 which limits the movement of the catch and prevents damage thereto.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 4, the arm l9, in addition to being part of the parallel motion linkage, also constitutes a lever of the first kind for the operation of the cutter jaws 20 and 22. As stated above, the arm I9 is pivoted to the jaw 29 at P4. Offset from the location of this pivot is a second pivot P5. This pivot consists of two short pins or rivets extending outwardly from each side of the arm l9 and secured therein. On each side of the cutter there is provided a link 36 rotating on the pivots P5 and connecting them with the bolt 37 which extends through the rear end of the jaw 22.

The jaws 20 and 22, the link 36 and the arm I 9 together constitute a compound lever cutter. Regarding these four elements as a unit, it can be seen that rotation of arm l9 about the pivot P4, while maintaining the jaw 20 stationary, exerts a powerful leverage through the link 36 upon the cutter jaws. The arm l9, when regarded as a lever with its fulcrum at P4, comprises a long arm Pia-P4 to which the force is applied and a short arm P4P5 which transmits the force to the jaws through the link,

It will be understood that the pin P4 extends through the rear end of the jaw 20 and the side walls of the arm I9 and is flush with the outer surface of the latter so that the links 36 may move freely thereover. The said links are so shaped that they retain the pin P4 in place by always covering at least a portion of the pin ends.

Fig. 8 shows diagrammatically how the device is attached to a bayonet 40 by sliding the coupling |5 on to the base of the blade, in which position the spring catch 3| engages the guard 4| of the bayonet which, in turn, is secured to the muzzle of the rifle 42 in the usual manner. In this position the blade of the bayonet rests upon the top of the lower cutter jaw 22 and the point 20' of the upper jaw 20 extends along the side or the bayonet, slightly above its lower edge. A strand of wire 44 is readily engaged by merely resting the lower side of the bayonet 40 upon it and sliding it along the wire which is guided directly into the openings in the cutter jaws.

As shown in Fig. 8, the coupling I5, the arms l8 and I9 and the blade 20 with their several pivotal connections form a parallelogram P1, P2, P4, P3. When the cutter jaws are pressed against the wire it tends to move this parallelogram into the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8. During this movement, the spring 30 within the tubes 26 and 21 is compressed, the force of the spring being exerted to return the cutter to the position shown in full lines.

During the rotation of this parallelogram about the pivots P1 and P2, the arm l9 in addition to lever in the form of an elbow lever or bell crank, having the two arms P4P2 and P4Ps. Upon the rotation of the cutter as a whole, this lever is effective through the link 36 to rotate the jaws of the cutter relative to one another and effect the cutting action.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the figures thus far described the cutter jaws are in the form of shears and it will be apparent that when they reach the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 8, the wire will have been cut. This releases the pressure on the parallel motion linkage and the pressure of spring 30 will return the device to its initial position.

It is not essential that the return spring system be constructed as shown in Fig. 8, as many other methods may be used such as one or more spiral springs attached to one or more of the pivots forming the apices of the parallelogram, or utilizing the principle that the diagonals of the parallelogram are shortened and extended during its pivotal movement. One alternative construction is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 9 in which a compression spring 50 extends along .one of the legs of the parallelogram and bears at one end against a sliding block 5| which is attached by a tension member 52 to the pivot P1 at one end of the opposite side of the parallelogram The cutting device can be adapted for attachment to any type of bayonet or other mounting by merely changing the shape of the coupling IS, the other parts remaining the same. Instead of being adapted for cutting upon a forward thrust of the weapon, the cutter may be mounted to be actuated by a rearward thrust as shown in Fig. 6, or the coupling may be adapted for mounting on the heel of the bayonet grip 60 as shown in Fig. 5.

Instead of being mounted on a bayonet or other weapon, the cutter may be mounted, as shown in Fig. 10, on a pole 10 which is long enough so that the cutter may be raised above the level of telephone or other similar wires H which may be cut by pulling downwardly on the pole.

The same construction of the mechanism for operating the shears of Fig. 1 may be utilized with the modified form of jaws shown in Fig. 7, which are of the usual nipper type in which the jaws and 8| are provided with opposed cutting edges 82 and 83 which meet but do not pass.

Having described the preferred embodiment of the invention for the purpose of illustration, it is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the details thereof, but is to be construed broadly within the purview of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cutting device comprising a coupling member, a first cutter jaw, a pair of arms pivoted at one end to said coupling and at the other end to said jaw, said coupling, said arms and said jaw constitutitng a parallel motion linkage, a second cutter jaw pivoted to the first cutter jaw, and a link connecting the second cutter jaw to one of said arms at a point on the arm spaced from its point of connection with said first cutter jaw, said last mentioned arm, said link and said jaws constituting a compound lever cutter.

2. A cutting device according to claim 1 in which said cutting jaws constitute shears.

3. A cutting device according to claim 1 including a spring normally maintaining the device in a position in which the cutter jaws are open.

4. A cutting device comprising, a coupling for being part of the parallel motion, constitutes a 73 attachment to a support, a pair of cutting jaws mounted for relative rotation on a common pivot, a pair of arms of substantially equal length rotatably secured at one end to said coupling at spaced points and at the other end to one of said jaws at similarly spaced points, one of said arms constituting a lever of the first kind having its fulcrum at its point of connection to said jaw and having arms of unequal length, and a link connecting the end of the short arm of said lever to the other of said jaws, whereby rotation of said arms on said coupling causes relative rotation of said cutting jaws. I

5. A wire cutter for attachment to a bayonet or the like comprising, a coupling for attachment to the bayonet, a first cutter jaw, two arms of substantially equal length pivotally mounted at one end to said coupling and at the other end to said jaw and normally extending longitudinally of the bayonet, a second cutter jaw pivoted to said first cutter jaw, a link connecting said second cutter jaw to a point on one of said arms spaced from its point of connection with said first cutter jaw, and a spring acting on said arms normally urging them toward the bayonet.

6. A wire cutter for attachment to a bayonet or the like comprising, a coupling adapted for mounting on the base of the bayonet blade and extending beyond one edge thereof, a pair of arms pivotally mounted on said coupling so as to extend longitudinally of said blade, a first cutter jaw pivotally attached to the ends of said arms and adapted to lie in part against the side of said blade andoverlappingits edge, a second cutter jaw pivotally mounted on said first cutter jaw, a link connecting said second cutter jaw to a point on one of said arms spaced from its point of connection with said first cutter jaw, and resilient means for urging said cutter toward said blade.

SERGE M. LASCHINSKY. 

